Darkness in Sanctuary
by Gremlin23
Summary: The dark wanderer is crossing the world of Sanctuary, leaving a trail of darkness and devastation in his wake. From a world unknown two heroes are drawn into the quest to save the world, but many wonder just what repercussions their arrival will cause. Self-insert fic, rated for language and violent scenes.
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to my re-write/re-upload of my story 'Darkness in Sanctuary'. It died a slow, writer's-block death and it is only now, after some help from one of the main characters, that I am able to try again. Most of what follows will be what was there already, with some tweaks where I see fit. If this is your first time reading, hope you like it and let me know what you don't like or what I messed up. If you're one of five people who started reading my first two attempts, thank you for giving me one last chance and I hope I don't let you down.**

"Hey G, you finally gonna tell me what's got you so jumpy since Wednesday?" my best friend Danielle asked me. The two of us had lived together since third grade and I'd heard more than one person wonder, loudly, when the two of us were going to hook up. We were in tenth grade after all, just about everyone seemed to be hooking up randomly. Then again I'd also seen the massive fights and fallout as the rest of our class randomly switched partners. Me, I reckoned that there's no point messing with something that works and Dani shared my sentiments. The object of my musing poked me in the side, reminding me that I hadn't answered her. "I'll show you this afternoon. Hope you weren't planning on sleeping tonight," I answered with a grin. It had been a week since my pal Rowan had showed me Diablo, and I'd been salivating about it ever since. Finally I'd managed to convince my mom to advance my allowance a bit so I could buy it that Tuesday, and the resulting anticipation was what Dani was talking about. The two of us were going to make a dent in the forces of darkness that evening in a marathon gaming session that hadn't been seen since the two of us had split the cost of soul edge.

"So what is it?" she asked me for the hundredth time that day as we were deciding, read flipping a coin, on the soda we wanted in the little market on the corner across from school. "Not telling. If I can manage to not touch it for almost a week, you can take not knowing till we get home." I replied barely suppressing a grin. She kept badgering me half-heartedly as we trekked home and I managed not to snicker at the fact that she hadn't noticed that I was carrying her bag without her trying to take it back. We'd gone about two-thirds of the way when she resorted to bribery. "I'll... I'll let you play first if you tell me?" I barked out a laugh, "It's two-player." She thought about that for a bit, but it didn't exactly narrow the list of games I could have gotten. Her slight frown made me suspect I wasn't going to be allowed to head into town on my own again, which was going to make getting something for her birthday in April difficult. "Come on! You know you can't do this to me!" I simply laughed at her, she'd done the same thing to me in the past and I'd given the same complaint. I pretended to think about it. "I'll consider it for a kiss?" I asked only half-joking. She stared at me, which was a rather impressive feat considering we were walking and dodging traffic signs and street lamps occasionally. After a while she asked, "Left or right?" I answered "Center" without skipping a beat and she frowned at me. None the less she stopped and when I turned to look at her she stood on her toes and kissed me on the forehead. Mentally I added another tally to her score, she got me good with that one. I looked at her and smiled widely. I added two to my own score and said "I have considered it and decided that since we're almost home I won't tell you."

I pretended to have a sore shoulder all the way home as we split up at the gate. She went on to her house to change out of her school uniform while I went to get the PlayStation and game. When I finally wound up in her living room she was waiting already. I told her to cover her eyes and got a blink in reply. Normally that would have set off a staring challenge but I wanted to play the game just as badly as she wanted to see what it was. So I took it out to show her and her smile made it all worth it. "Looks scary!" she said excitedly. Knowing her preference for horror games I headed off any disappointment and explained it was an Action RPG. she shrugged and the two of us set up what would be our world for the next thirteen hours.


	2. Chapter 2

I yawned I trudged up the dirt road to the factory I'd been working at for a few months now. I didn't particularly like the boss, but I had a job and I liked what I did so I filed the dislike under "It's a boss, you're not supposed to like him" and just kept at it.

As I was cresting the rise I thought about that weekend Danni and I had faced off the hordes of monsters beneath Tristram. Her bowstring humming in counterpoint to the roars as I loosed torrents of elemental death on all who came before us. Checking my watch I imagined she'd be waking up any minute now to get ready for her job in the office of the meat-packing plant. She still lived with her parents where she always had, while I'd since moved to a little apartment next to a gas station as my parents had moved long since. I turned my thoughts away from anything with a bed, since five in the morning is not the best time to have to get out of one.

As the factory came into view down the road I looked around and wondered if it was just me, or if it was rather darker than it normally was this time of morning. Even the clouds seemed darker than normal as I stopped to take a look around and I contemplated calling Dani to check the clouds because I think Krillin has died again. I chuckled both at the thought and at what she'd probably do to me for waking her up and began the descent to the factory gate to wait for the maintenance guy to show up and unlock the place. I hadn't taken two steps when the mother of all lightning bolts hit the ground not far from me. I cursed and hit the ground in the ditch next to the road hoping I would manage to get inside before the storm broke.

Another lightning-bolt hit in front of me not three meters away and I covered my ears, which were ringing by this time. I was starting to get worried when another bolt hit to my left and the wind started picking up. I looked out of my improvised foxhole and thought of making for the gate, hoping the factory and it's lightning rod would make for a better target than little me in a ditch. I had just about resolved to hoof it when lightning started raining around me in a cacophony of noise and light. I didn't have time to wonder about the fact that I was the only target when something red flashed in front of me and the world went dark.

Everything went quiet and I thought I must be deaf after all those booms. Then the sound of a fire reached me and I let out a relieved sigh. I opened my eyes and immediately closed them again. I counted to five and opened them again, the same sight was revealed and I was confused. I looked around and took in what looked like a medieval camp of some kind, but I knew of no such re-enactment groups anywhere near my town. It wasn't a very big camp, mostly wagons and carts with a few tents and what looked like a rather hastily built smithy in one corner.

I rubbed my hands through my hair in confusion and somehow the thought of Dani teasing me about going bald popped up in my mind. I started giggling when I noticed that my sleeve wasn't what it was supposed to be. I looked down and frowned at the sight. My faded old pair of black jeans had been swapped with a surprisingly similar set of black cotton pants. At least I thought they were cotton, I didn't know cloth all that well. My red t-shirt was now one of those ridiculous shirt things with laces at the neck I'd seen in a live-action kids show once and my overall jacket had been replaced with a similar blue jacket, only it was much thicker, a fact I appreciated as a chilly breeze ruffled my suddenly shoulder-length hair, and had those odd stick-like fastenings often used in Chinese outfits. At least my Boots were still almost the same. I could tell that the steel toes were gone, but they were still as comfortable as my old pair and I wasn't going to complain about a comfortable pair of boots. I resumed looking around at everything around me to try to get my bearings when I noticed the person nearby start towards me with what might almost have been a smile on his face if he'd tried harder.


	3. Chapter 3

"Greetings, stranger. I'm not surprised to see your kind here. Many adventurers have traveled this way since the recent troubles began. No doubt you've heard about the tragedy that befell the town of Tristram. Some say that Diablo, the Lord of Terror, walks the world again. I don't know if I believe that, but a Dark Wanderer did travel this route a few weeks ago. He was headed east to the mountain pass guarded by the Rogue Monastery. Maybe it's nothing, but evil seems to have trailed in his wake. You see, shortly after the Wanderer went through, the Monastery's Gates to the pass were closed and strange creatures began ravaging the countryside. Until it's safer outside the camp and the gates are re-opened, I'll remain here with my caravan. I hope to leave for Lut Gholein before the shadow that fell over Tristram consumes us all. If you're still alive then, I'll take you along. You should talk to Akara, too. She seems to be the leader of this camp. Maybe she can tell you more."

With that my feet hit the ground in what would be the story of a lifetime. In my usual manner, my feet hit the ground and I promptly fell flat on my face. My first reaction was confusion at some stranger talking about the events of a video game years old now. This was quickly followed by anger at some idiot playing what must be simultaneously the most thought-out and lamest prank in history. Well, except maybe that time Uncle Adolf snuck up behind Poland and shouted 'SURPRISE!'. My anger was short-lived though. No matter how you twist it, no one builds a small military/refugee camp with such primitive materials on a whim. I decided to take a walk around before I make any further plans. Who knows, I might find cameras?

I mentally tossed a coin and headed left, intending to make a circuit of the camp. Right in front of me was a woman with an honest to goodness short-bow. I've read of the things, but the only bows I've ever seen were for competitions and looked more than pieces of engineering than bows. This, however, was a simple wooden bow about as long as her arm. What drew the eye, however, was her face. She wore a scowl that swapped places with a grimace now and then. Her dark demeanour and chain-mail outfit seemed to scream 'Piss off!" so I decided to give her a skip for now and go exploring. As I turned away from her I wondered where she'd found chain-mail. As far as I knew there wasn't anyone on my continent who made it any more. Adding it to my growing pile of what the heck questions, I walked towards one of the corners of the camp.

As I walked, I heard a sound I haven't heard in a long time. I picked up my pace and headed towards the sound of hammer meeting steel. The source shocked me even more than the dour woman from earlier. There, standing next to a forge working on what looked to be a simple pot helmet was a woman as tall as I was. Now I live in a harbour town so strangers aren't a rarity. All the same, it was rare to find a woman as tall as I was, and this woman not only matched my height, but shoulders as well, which was a first. Her outfit, however, had me starting to get suspicious again. I was pretty sure I would remember signing a contract into a career of porn, yet first I meet a woman with painfully large breasts and now I meet a female blacksmith wearing a pair of pants dangerously tight, a leather apron, soft-skin boots easily taken off, and nothing else. Not even the flimsiest of shirt covered her torso aside from the apron that protected her from the embers and flying sparks. I wasn't going to find out more standing there though so I walked up and waited for her to finish her work. She seemed to know her way with steel as she quickly shaped the last curve in the helmet before straightening and turning my way.

"Hi there. I'm Charsi, the blacksmith here in camp. It's good to see some strong adventurers around here," she began with a voice so youthful and enthusiastic I was having a hard time guessing her age. "Many of our Sisters fought bravely against Diablo when he first attacked the town of Tristram. They came back to us true veterans, bearing some really powerful items. Seems like their victory was short-lived, though... Most of them are now corrupted by Andariel. It's really great to meet you. I've seen a few of your kind around here lately. I'm a little jealous... I wish I could go off adventuring with you." She finished, smiling shyly. I immediately tossed all thoughts of this being a setup out the window. Despite both people I have met so far seeming to make speeches instead of merely talking, the odd woman in front of me couldn't possibly be faked. "Hello, I am George, and it is a pleasure to meet you," I responded with a smile. The world seemed to lurch sideways, but it was over so quickly I wondered if I'd imagined it. She didn't seem to notice so I ignored it as she answered. "Oh so formal! Please, call me Charsi. If I can help with anything, you know, weapons or some armor, just let me know okay?" She turned back to her forge where she'd put the helmet back to heat and turned it over, inspecting the colour. I waved a goodbye as I ambled off, idly wondering how she had wound up here. Or me for that matter.

I might have neglected to mention, but by this point I suspect that people would think that red is the natural colour of my face. See, first there was the under-dressed blacksmith, and then throughout the camp there were more women armed with bows wearing... Well I suspect that the hardened leather would probably stop a blunt weapon, but it covered so little of them I honestly had no idea what the point of the excruciatingly skimpy outfits was. I tried my best to ignore them as I walked around the camp. The camp seemed mostly wagons filled with random belongings, and a tent here and there. In the corner opposite Charsi I saw another wagon with a decidedly rotund man standing in front of it. He looked middle-eastern in dress, though his skin was lighter than I normally expect from people dressed like him. I walked up to him as he was rummaging in his wagon for something.

"Hello there!" I started, startling him into jumping at least four centimeters. He recovered quickly, however, and turned to me with a large, horribly forced, smile. "Good day to you partner! I'm Gheed and I can already tell that I'll be your best friend in this forsaken camp. A spare weapon, some gold, a small gem is all I want in exchange for the equipment you'll need on whatever quests you might undertake. Now, now, now... Don't be shy, all of my items are guaranteed for life and come with a two-day warranty!" he boomed at me. I pondered that for a bit and asked, "So, your items are guaranteed not to break for life, but if they do break I can't bring them back any later than two days?" He blinked and his smile seemed to slip slightly. I was starting to suspect that I was the first person he'd ever met who actually knew what warranties and guarantees were. I decided not to make any enemies just yet and smiled at him. "Don't worry, I'm sure I just misunderstood somewhere. What can you tell me about this place?"

He regained his composure at this and seemed happy to chat for a bit. "Andariel's demonic forces have taken up residence in the forests around here as well as the Monastery. Uh-uh. I won't be venturing out of the camp. So, if you need anything, I'll be right here. When - or if - I get to Lut Gholein, I'm going to find the largest bowl of Narlant weed and smoke 'til all earthly sense has left my body." he told me. The world seemed to lurch again during this, but it was slight and I couldn't do anything about it yet so I thought about what he said. "This Lut Gholein, the man in blue over near the fire mentioned it too." I figured mentioning other people might lead to more explanations, or at least more info such as what his name was. "Warriv was kind enough to let me travel with his caravan, but don't let him drag you into a search for a new Eastern trade route. I'm making a fortune right here... from the Rogues, of course! You, on the other hand, always get my best prices!" Gheed indulged my quest for a name. Something told me that he was going to nail me just as hard with the prices as he did the rogues, but I wasn't going to mention anything for now. "Well, things to see, people to do. I'll probably be back later!" I said by way of greeting and walked off to explore the rest of the camp.

There didn't seem to be much to the rest of the camp. Wagons, carts and tents in a barely organised mess. Only the occasional rogue as well. I stopped for a beat as it finally hit me. Rogues. As in the female character in Diablo that Dani played! I understood where the outfits were from now, though not what point they served other than to make non-existent males drool, and wondered about it all as I completed my circuit. Along the way I saw what had to be the exit. Two rogues were guarding it and I guessed they needed constant guards since no one thought to build a gate into the hole in the palisade. Then again, with demons in the forest, wood was probably hard to come by. I now was stuck with the problem of finding 'Akara' to find the way out of here. Had home been called Lut Gholein I would have been set, but it wasn't so I needed more info. I decided to try the woman in chain-mail. The bow marked her a rogue, and the better armor seemed to indicate seniority so I figured she was the leader Akara.  
>"Good day ma'am. Sorry to bother, but are you Akara?" I greeted her. She glared at me and I resisted the urge to check if I had a stain on my new shirt. With the world-shifting feeling I'd come to expect every time I talked to someone she replied. "I am Kashya. Welcome, outlander, to our glorious hovel. I know you're here to challenge the evil that's driven us from our ancestral home. But, know this. Akara may be our spiritual leader, but I command the Rogues in battle. It will take more than just killing a few beasts in the wilderness to earn my trust." I had an answer to my question at last and decided that I did not want to talk to her unless I had to. "Thank you ma'am. Have a nice day." I said and when she resumed ignoring me I walked over to the low stone wall next to the fire. I sat down next to a chest and leaned against the wall looking at the flames and thinking.<p>

While I've never been the most normal of people, getting sucked into what appears to be a video game world was not normal by any definition of the word. Yet despite the seeming impossibility of it, here I was in the world of sanctuary with a new wardrobe; a slight, though noticeable, change in appearance and no idea how to get home. Oh, and half the time I speak to people the world suddenly feels like I've had a drink too many. No matter how I stared, the flames refused to break down in nerves and tell me what I wanted to know. I gave the chest next to me a thump and fell over sideways when the lid popped open. I scrambled to my feet and looked around if anyone saw me. All I needed was a camp of armed women to think I'm a thief. I quickly tried to close the lid of the chest when I saw there was just about nothing in it. There was, however, a book, a small pouch and a few bottles of bubbly liquids I didn't know. Curiosity beat caution and I picked up the book.

On closer examination it appeared to not be a book at all, at least not in the normal sense of the word. Instead, it was a set of impossible thin stone tablets bound in wood with rings at the top and bottom of the spine. It had not markings, so I opened up to look inside and nearly dropped it when I did. The first slab was inserted into the wood of the cover and had, of all things, my name at the top. Below that it had a set of empty squares spaced in an odd pattern with a grid pattern all the way at the bottom. The next two slabs were covered in odd writing I couldn't understand but which seemed familiar somehow. From the books in my father's study I knew that it resembled Hebrew somehow, but not quite. From my own reading, I knew it had elements of the Norse runes as well. Regardless, it had my name on it so if that didn't make it mine I didn't know what did. Later on I would wonder why I had felt so possessive of the odd book, but for now it seemed right that I take it.

I picked up the pouch next and let out a startled sound when it disappeared from my hand. I heard an odd noise and when I looked in the book one of the small slots in the first page suddenly had the number 100 in it. Confused, I put a finger to it only to fall over as 'something' popped up in my mind. I couldn't explain it, not even to this day, but somehow I knew that the slot indicated the amount of gold I had, and that it had limits I was far from reaching. I picked up the first of the little bottles, more like test tubes now that I looked closer, and it too disappeared only to reappear in miniature form in one of the squares of the grid pattern of the bottom of my book. Prepared for the shock, I put a finger to it and again got a flash of insight. This drink made me better when injured, though how I didn't know. Another surprise was that, after touching it, it appeared in my hand. I looked down at the chest wondering what to do next when I noticed odd little stone squares on the belt around my waist. I was about to put the vial down to look closer when it flew out of my hand as I got close to the belt and stuck to the stone square closest to where it had been. I pulled at it and it came loose again, and I experimented with how far away it had to be before it snapped to the belt as well as whether it would stick to the others. It did. I picked up the other bottles and checked them in the book as well. they were more healing drinks and I put them on the other four slots on my belt. I was about to close the chest when I noticed something to the side. It looked like a slightly thicker than normal broomstick, polished and rather sturdy-looking. It too flashed into my book and when I checked it out more information came forth than normal. For starters, I knew that it was at peak condition and that it did about as much damage as it would had it been a normal broomstick. However, along with this I got the sense that it could help me master my fire attack somehow. I touched it again and instead of just appearing in my hand like the drinks, it also appeared in one of the slots above the grid. I felt a tingle rush through me and something caught my eye on the page next to the page of squares. Some of the runes were lighting up and suddenly I understood them.

They spoke of how to form a ball of fire by collecting the mana from my core and concentrating it. I instinctively understood this, though I probably would have even if it hadn't been inserted into my brain by the book since it was similar to the chi techniques my one friend had told me about. I thought of trying it out, but it didn't seem right to do it in the camp, so I headed for the gate. I would find out what was going on from Akara later, right now I wanted to try this out...


	4. Chapter 4

I was frustrated and bordering annoyed. I glared at the staff in my hand and couldn't understand what the problem was. As I'd learned, all I had to do was pool energy into it and let fly. The problem was, I couldn't gather more than a little at a time. I tried pooling more, but anything more than needed just seemed to refuse to go anywhere. As I'd learned, the bit I could use was dangerous enough, it just wasn't the awesome blast I'd been imagining. After I'd learned about my new ability I'd headed straight for the exit to try it out. I'd gone a few steps into the gloom beyond the torches by the banners and done as I'd read in my book, which was held in my left hand. I'd held the staff in front of me and felt for my energy. What surprised me was how noticeable it was when I actually felt for it. Once I'd felt it it was almost instinctual to guide it to my hand . The first time had been a surprise, even though I was expecting it. I'd started pooling the energy in the staff before suddenly a ball of fire flew off in the darkness with a whoosh. I'd tried again and the same thing happened. I kept experimenting, trying to hold it back longer so I could gather more energy, but that didn't happen. I was about to start swearing at the stick when it hit me. It was my limit. I pooled the energy in the staff, but until I improved my understanding of the magic I wouldn't be able to do more. I felt like smacking myself for not realising it and gave the staff a twirl. Now that I was armed, after a fashion, I could go see what Akara wanted. Whatever it was that brought me here, I knew that it would not be as simple as hitching a ride back home.  
>I headed back into the camp and made straight for the tent to the right. Standing in front of it, with her own fire to boot, was a woman in a purple dress that looked vaguely Indian. She didn't notice my approach at first and seemed rather down, judging by her troubled expression. She looks up as I reach the fire and gives a small smile. I smile back and introduce myself. "Hi, I'm George. Am I correct in assuming you are Akara?" I ask.<p>

"Yes, I am Akara, High Priestess of the Sisterhood of the Sightless Eye. I welcome you, traveler, to our camp, but I'm afraid I can offer you but poor shelter within these rickety walls. You see, our ancient Sisterhood has fallen under a strange curse. The mighty Citadel from which we have guarded the gates to the East for generations has been corrupted by the evil Demoness, Andariel. I still can't believe it... but she turned many of our sister Rogues against us and drove us from our ancestral home. Now the last defenders of the Sisterhood are either dead or scattered throughout the wilderness. I implore you, stranger. Please help us. Find a way to lift this terrible curse and we will pledge our loyalty to you for all time." I almost sighed. I knew this was going to be hard. None the less I smiled at her and said "I don't know about demonesses, but I'll try at the least. Where should I start?" Her smile seemed the tiniest bit brighter. " There is a place of great evil in the wilderness. Kashya's Rogue scouts have informed me that a cave nearby is filled with shadowy creatures and horrors from beyond the grave. I fear that these creatures are massing for an attack against our encampment. If you are sincere about helping us, find the dark labyrinth and destroy the foul beasts." I wasn't all that sure about attacking someplace actually called 'Den of Evil' so I asked her if she knew anyone who'd help me out. Her answer shouldn't have surprised me. "I am sorry," she said, " but many Rogue scouts have died in that horrible place. We cannot afford to lose any more. If you choose to enter that Den of Evil, you must do so alone." I shrugged and bid her farewell before heading back to the fire. This was not going to be easy, so I needed to think about it all before trying to take on the darkness on my own.

First, I reckoned, I had to improve my equipment situation. I was going to need more than a stick, a book and some potions to clear out a place like that. Especially if there were skeletons or zombies or whatever she meant by undead in there. I'd have to see what Charsi had laying around that she could spare. While it was worth a lot back home, I got the feeling that a hundred golden coins weren't much here. I was also going to need help. No matter how desperate either the rogues or I was, desperation couldn't swing a broom, much less fight monsters. The problem was that the rogues listened to Kashya, who didn't seem to like me much, and Akara, who didn't want to lose any of them. This was great for the rogues, but who was going to tell anyone they didn't want ME to die? I decided I'd ask Warriv at least. He looked rather sturdy, so I was hopeful he might be willing to help out. First, though, I needed gear so I headed off to Charsi's forge.

"Hey Charsi!" I greeted the smith who seemed to be taking a break, "I don't suppose you've got some spare gear around do you? Akara wants me to go have a look in some place called the den of evil and clean it up some." Her smile seemed to dim slightly as I told her where I was heading. "The beasts from the cave have begun to roam throughout the countryside. You'd better be careful out there. Here, I have some extra gear you can look through, but I'm afraid I have to sell them to you otherwise I can't buy supplies." She seemed really upset that she couldn't help me more, but I didn't mind. After all, times were obviously hard all around. I looked at the three tables she had with various bits and pieces of armor and weaponry spread over them. Again, as with my book, I seemed to get flashes of insight from the various items. Here a mace that did extra damage to the undead, there an axe that shocked its victims. Evena pair of shoes that let me run farther before tiring. I asked Charsi about some of the items and quickly learned that my suspicion that gold was cheap here was correct. Some of the items cost several hundred coins and one studded leather vest was worth over a thousand. No matter where I turned, I couldn't afford anything. I was feeling rather lost about what to do at this point as I was certain to get my head ripped off the first time I came across a demon. The world seemed to lurch again and Charsi looked at me sadly. "Here," she says and hands me a pair of worn gloves. They don't have any magical effects, but they would at least protect me a little bit. "Wow! Thank you! I promise I'll pay you back!" I said in surprise and more than a little gratitude. She was the first person to cut me even a little slack since I got here after all. Her old smile was back at my enthusiastic thanks and she rummaged around in a bin with scrap metal in it. Taking out a thin chain she used it to attach my book to my belt by the rings on the spine. I was reminded of a picture I saw once of an armored man with a large book hanging from his side fighting against a monster with a large hammer. With a spring in my step I walked off towards the entrance after thanking her again. It was amazing what a little bit of kindness could do to lift the spirit.


	5. Chapter 5

As I stepped onto the path that lead out of the rogue encampment I stopped and looked back at the rogue guards by the entrance. Grim, determined eyes stared into the darkness and paid me barely a flicker of attention. I turned back and considered the gloom before me. Though It was somewhere in the afternoon, the heavy clouds overhead made it hard to believe it wasn't night already.

"Lord," I started my quick prayer, "I don't know where I am. I don't know what lies ahead of me, but darkness covers the land. Guide my hand, High Father, and I will teach the unclean to lie down and bleed in Your presence." A feeling of resolve filled me and I set off down the road, scanning the darkness around me for movement.

I hadn't gone far when I heard a log growling. I slowed and held my staff ready as I made towards the sound to find the largest porcupine I had ever seen. It practically came up to my knees and seemed to stink bad enough for me to smell it almost as far as I could see it. I didn't know what the wildlife in this area was like, so I tried to avoid it for now when my foot knocked against a stone on the ground and it snapped its head in my direction. What happened next caught me completely by surprise. With a snarl the beast crested its quills and suddenly flicked them forwards. A few of them actually detached and flew at me and I dodged to the side with a yell. I didn't understand. Porcupines didn't shoot their quills, that was just something we used to tell tourists to make them avoid the crotchety things! Yet here I was, doing a mad mambo as I dodged quills this way and that. Finally I had had enough and fired a fire bolt at the thing with a snarl.

I don't know what I was expecting, but the way the bolt slammed into the thing with a wet crunch was not it. I regretted stopping and staring in awe, though, as the thing managed to hit me square in the thigh with one of its quills. I shouted in surprise and pain and almost got hit again as I now had a nasty spike sticking out of my leg. I screamed at the monster and blasted four more bolts at it. It turned out that two would have been enough as I turned away from the other two making disgusting squelching noises as they hit the carcass.

I looked down at my leg and cursed. This spike was going to hurt coming out. I grit my teeth and grabbed onto it with both hands. With a silent countdown I took a deep breath and yanked the thing out. I gasped and bit into my forearm as I waited for the worst of the shock to go away. Surprisingly, I was feeling better already and the wound didn't seem too bad when I looked at it. I examined the spine still clutched in my hand and noted that, while painful, it hadn't actually gone very deep judging by the distance the red had covered.

With barely a limp I walked over to the now-dead beast to have a close look. While sharing similarities, it was nothing like the animals I knew from back home. Even without the size it would have been obvious had I taken a good look. It was an off-grey, brownish colour almost like a warthog and its skin seemed just as tough, which would possibly explain why my bolt hadn't done more damage than it had. The smell was horrible and made me quickly discard my thought to salvage some of the meat for the camp. Even if I had a knife, meat that smelled that bad couldn't possibly be edible. In fact, It was almost as if the thing had begun rotting while still alive. I wondered if this was a part of the corruption the Rogues were fighting. I turned away from the disgusting site and was about to walk off when something caught my eye.

There, next to the beast, were a few coins. I had no idea where they had come from, but I wasn't going to leave them there. I walked closer and was about to bend down when they seemed to disappear with a sound like the pouch in my chest had. On a hunch I checked my book and, sure enough, I had gained six coins. It wasn't much, but I figured I might come across more.

I moved on down the road and came across two more quillrats, as I'd decided to call the things. I didn't wait for them to see me, but let fly four bolts at them. I got one, but the other managed to avoid the rest of my bolts after the first had hit it. I finished it off and saw that the coins I had found earlier must have come from the quillrat as I saw some more fly from this one. I walked closer cautiously and the coins found my book as before. A second surprise was the knife also laying on the ground. I picked it up and it immediately went to my book. I looked at it and saw that it was just a simple double-edged dagger. I left it to sell later and resumed my way up the road.

I made it all the way to a fork in the road without incident, getting more and more tense at the obvious quiet before the storm. There, around the tree standing a few meters beyond where the path split, were a group of little red creatures that gave off a stench I was sure I shouldn't have been able to smell this far away. I knew these were the demons I'd been told about. I dropped down to a crouch and tried to get a little closer to see what the things looked like. My first good look was the last one I would ever need. Though not all that ugly, something about them seemed 'wrong' somehow. Revolted, I gave up any pretense at stealth and started flinging bolts at the things as fast as I could. I realised I was screaming obscenities at the things when I had to take a breath and noticed my throat was sore. I couldn't explain it, but something in me hated the little aberrations with a passion I couldn't deny.

The battle seemed over too quickly as the last one I could see fell down in a bloody mess. I was surprised to note they bled red, but didn't care much for the colour as long as they bled. I walked over and looked around for any loot, though the stench was enough to make me gag. I had found some coins and a wooden club when a noise made me turn around just in time to dodge a crude little spear thrust at where my back had been. I shot the thing in the face and again when it staggered back and that was enough to put it down for good.

As it fell I saw a large cloth object appear out of thin air where it had been and fly far enough away to not land in its blood. I walked over and found a thick cotton jerkin, quilted on the inside. I put it on, surprised at the good fit, and noted it was even heavier than I expected. It would give me some protection it seemed, as the book confirmed, and I was pleased with my find. A final check around the field of dead demons and I moved off down the right fork of the path.

The road had eventually led to a break in what looked like the walls I had seen in pictures of English farmland and I decided that the den of evil wasn't this way. Along the way I had found some more demons, a few quillrats and what could only be a zombie. The last made me laugh out loud as I blasted it into little bits before it could so much turn my way. I remembered something I had heard from Oghden in what seemed like another life. "You can cut the flesh, but you must crush the bone." I wasn't sure if it applied here, but I blasted the zombie into a few more bits before getting closer just in case.

I had heard a thud when it had fallen and was pleased to find a wooden shield on the ground next to it. I didn't know the slightest thing about fighting with two weapons, but a shield was useful no matter how inept you were with one. I must have looked silly, looking bac, with a shield covering my back, cotton armor and a wooden staff for a weapon. Still, it was decidedly more than I had started with so I was pleased. As I was figuring out how to strap the shield over my chest so it would cover my back I felt the strange lurching feeling again, but I was getting used to it by now and didn't pay it much mind.

I started exploring more of the area and killed a few more demons. During one such fight I faced my first shaman. I was blasting away at a large crowd demons as fast as I could when a ball of fire larger than my head flew at me out of the darkness. I screamed and fell backwards to avoid it. As I had noticed, the demons were cowardly things that ran away when you killed some of them and this saved my life as none of them were close enough to capitalise on my brief meeting with mother earth. I rolled forward and used the momentum to spring back up as I started running diagonally in the direction the fireball had come from.

Soon I found the source in another demon who carried a banner in one hand and flung another fireball with the other. I dodged it, it was slower than my bolts after all, and began shooting at it as fast as I could. It took a lot more to put it down than the others and I managed to kill the final two others before I got it down. I could have sworn the demons I'd killed had been killed already before then, but I was too busy dodging swords, spears and fireballs to pay attention to what my targets looked like. As the thing fell down I felt a pulse of pleasure flash through me and left me feeling invigorated and stronger somehow. I didn't understand it, but my book was vibrating at my side so I opened it up to have a look.

The runes that explained my fire bolts seemed like they weren't complete, and there was another set of runes that almost seemed to make sense. At least, I knew what they meant, but not what they said completely. A flash of inspiration hit me again and I knew that if I invested either of the two sets of runes with a bit of the strange energy I was feeling I would unlock an understanding of more advanced skills. Turning the stone pages, I found more sets of runes. Along with my fire bolts on the first page was a skill that let me regenerate my magic energy faster. This was an immediate good idea to me as I frequently had to pause in the middle of the forest kicking my heels waiting for the odd tired feeling to pass letting me know I could continue, and the blue potions that tasted surprisingly good and increased my energy weren't dropped so often that I could rely on them alone.

The next page seemed to be dedicated to lightning, but the skill I saw there didn't seem to be very reliable, as I couldn't recognise anything that indicated aiming or direction like my fire bolts had. The page after was dedicated to ice, and I was starting to notice a pattern.

The ice page had an ice bolt similar to my fire one, but it did less damage while slowing down the monsters. I wasn't sure if I wanted that. While slow monsters were easy pickings, the increased damage fire did made them drop faster which helped me with crowd control. The second skill here seemed some sort of frozen layer that improved my armor. This seemed immensely useful to me and I was left wondering which to take, regenerating mana or increased protection. I finally decided to take the former since the mana would let me cast more later anyway.

Noticing the rest of the illegible runes further down the pages, I realised that this increase in skill would happen again, once I'd killed enough monsters.


	6. Chapter 6

Danielle rode home in silence, the sound of the little Volkswagen's engine a stark counterpoint to her silent countenance. Once upon a time she would sing along with the radio as she rode home. On the occasional weekends that she and George had hit the road and gone somewhere, he'd join her in abandon, often drowning out the engine and sometimes doing his best to make her break down in laughter by superimposing his own, sometimes raunchy, lyrics.

Not anymore of course. He'd been gone for a year, and that year had not been kind to Danielle. She'd gotten a shock the day she'd gotten the call from his aunt asking if she knew where he was. It wasn't like him to skip work, he was fanatical about his job and making the best of it so he could advance himself. He'd even showed her the pamphlets of the course he would be qualified to take if he'd worked up enough experience. The shock had faded to numbness as she was asked a slew of questions by a blur of faces. Where could he have gone? Did he have any shortcuts he might have taken to work? Was there anywhere he liked to go sometimes? Was he depressed? Could she think of anyone who would want to hurt him? She'd stared blankly at them and answered when she could get herself to speak. Eventually she'd found herself by the side of a hole in the ground with an empty box in it. She'd roused herself into a towering rage and fought tooth and nail to at least have a stone raised on his grave. He'd mentioned that once, that he would have liked to have a simple boulder raised on a spot somewhere with runes carved to remember him. He'd had to look up a bunch of books and had shown her the runes he'd put together. He'd smiled sheepishly and admitted he hadn't made heads or tails of how to put them in sentences, but Fortune, Travels, Love and Home were what he'd scribbled down. His blessing on the ones behind him he'd said.

At home she watched cartoons for an hour or two, beat another level in one of the video games he'd left her and taken a shower before heading to bed. She hadn't made it all the way when she was stopped and dragged off to dinner. She had eaten what was in front of her, smiled politely at any comments directed at her, flipped the bird at the wombat, as George had named her evil grandmother, and finally headed to bed. She was out as a light the moment her head hit the pillow.


	7. Chapter 7

Danielle looked around in confusion. This wasn't like any dream she'd ever had before. For one thing, everything was visible and clear, not fuzzy around the edges. She was in some sort of camp, made from tree trunks sharpened and planted in the ground. She looked back at the person in front of her who wore what looked like chain armour. "... and the allegiance of the Rogues. I have placed several of my best warriors at your disposal," she caught the tail end of what the strange woman was saying to the figure in front of her. The man looked bizarre to say the least. She knew he was male from the short, full beard that covered the bottom half of his face. The rest of him was so outlandish that she was amazed that she could think of something like it even in a dream.

He wore what almost looked like jeans, only with leather thigh guard. On his feet were knee-high boots with leather shin guards similar to the pads on his thighs. His thick leather coat came halfway down his thighs and was worn beneath a hardened leather breastplate with metal studs in it. His shoulders were bare, but his upper arms had more of the leather pads his legs had and his hands were encased in thick leather gloves. At his side a strange, wood-bound book hung from a chain attached to his belt on the left and a set of little glass bottles were stuck to the belt on the right hand side. On his head he wore a leather hat with a narrow top surrounded by a wide brim. It would all have been absurd had he not worn it so casually, or leaned on the thick, oaken staff like he could and would use it at the slightest threat.

It was his face though. He looked familiar, if she could only place it. He was shorter than her, which was odd because even in her dreams she was usually her normal, short self. He seemed to twitch for a fraction of a second, so fast she almost thought she'd imagined it, and then looked at her. He briefly looked her over then blushed slightly and focused on her face. She looked down and gasped. She was huge! What's more, she was wearing what amounted to rawhide underwear! This was surreal, she was starting to wonder about this dream when a gasp made her look back up at the man who had looked at her. A shock ran through her. "Dani?" the unmistakable voice of George asked her as recognition made her tense. All this time, and she hadn't had a single dream of him. Not one, and now here he was. Or was this a dream? She looked back down and pinched her arm, hard. Nothing, though it hurt. She looked at him and he took a slow step closer, the stick clattering to his side. Slowly he took another step closer and reached out to rub the back of one finger against her cheek, before crashing into her and hugging her tightly. The hug made her snap out of it, this was real. It wasn't a dream, George was here, and it was all real. She looked down at him as he looked back up at her, the situation an odd reversal of heights, when it all came together. This was real. She screamed out and began beating him about the head and shoulders.

"You!" She cuffed him over the head, "Fucking!" she punched him in the shoulder, "Bastard! Fuck! Why! Where were you! Why! Do you know what you did?! Where the fuck were you!" She screamed the same questions and curses over and over as he stood there staring at her with tears streaming down his face. Finally something in her clicked and she reared back and punched him square on the jaw. The pent-up anger, pain and loss of a year releasing itself in one blow, the first not to hit him on a piece of armour, and as he flew two meters through the air and landed with a thud she kept up her cursing while taking her rage out on whatever happened to be in kicking distance, heedless of the tears mirroring his own streaming down her cheeks. Finally she stopped as he gave out a groan and slowly got to his feet. She stared down at her hand in shock at the realisation of what she had just done as he gingerly put a finger to his already-swelling face. "Ow" was all he ground out as he poked at his split lip. She was too stunned to react as he reached down to his side and grabbed one of the little bottles that had hung there. She didn't notice another pop into its place as he popped off the stopper and tossed the contents down his throat. The results were instantaneous and he let out a satisfied sigh as all signs of damage seemed to heal before her eyes.

"You okay?" he asked as he walked closer and took her hand without a word. He looked carefully at the swelling appendage and tisked under his breath. Just like that it was like old times, and she couldn't take it. With a cry she trew herself at him and began sobbing, then crying uncontrollably. For his part he just held her, though silent tears followed their predecessors down his cheeks once again. After a few seconds he put his arm around her and lead her over to a large campfire where a bed-roll was stashed in a corner against a broken-down piece of wall. He managed to unroll it with a kick somehow and slowly helped her down onto it. He leaned back against the wall and just held her as she let it all out. He was humming a tune under his breath and it soothed her greatly, though she didn't recognise it. Finally she subsided and let go of him to sit against the wall. The oddity of being taller than him struck her again as he looked up at her with a grin she remembered him having the evening she'd let him kiss her goodnight for the first time. "I suppose with you here things are going to be changing," he said softly. There was something in his voice that struck her as different, but she couldn't put a finger on it. "Gah! I have to show you this, it's ridiculously awesome!" he suddenly gushed and dragged her back to her feet.

He hung on to one hand and dragged her towards the exit of the strange camp as she stumbled confusedly after him. Once outside he let go and took a step back. "Watch this, I still get a rush from doing it," he said before twirling the staff she hadn't noticed him bringing along around his head before locking it beneath his armpit. "Kaa!" he began, and she frowned. "Mey!" he continued as he brought his other hand down to his right side and lowered the staff to meet it. "Haa!" he shouted and she recognised the sounds now. She thought this might have been a dream after all, George was doing a Kamehameha wave after all, and that was from a cartoon not real life. "Mey!" he shouted the next part and she started at the sudden appearance of a little glowing ball where his hands met that slowly grew to twice again the size of his head. "HAAAA!" he screamed suddenly and thrust his staff and hand out at the darkness and a large, swirling ball of fire flew into the distance.


End file.
